Artist Bio
Western Canadian Singer/Songwriter Steve Coffey & his band The Lokels (Russ Baker, Dave Bauer, Lance Loree & Ray McAndrew) have been writing, recording & performing for years. They have released 5 dynamic albums of original songs to date, along with numerous videos’ (MuchMusic) and films (Bravo! Canada’s Arts & Entertainment Channel) All of which have received critical acclaim in print & radio both in Canada and abroad.
"It's Prairie music...vividly poetic images in a raw, intense form that owes as much to punk rock as to Woody Guthrie. Dark compelling work & Bare bones majestic magic." - Victoria Times Colonist
“..a brilliant collection of Prairie roots folk rock fusion with the Lokels rich instrumentation and brilliant harmonies.” -Penguin Eggs
More About Steve Coffey & The Lokels
"The framework of a concept is established through Coffey's terse, emotive rasp with plenty of space left for his band, The Lokels, to create an ebbing, flowing Neil Young-styled western sound-scape that is wordless yet still fraught with meaning.. Steve Coffey is one of those artists who wears the world he sees upon his sleeve, an artistic output poignant and striking, filtered through his own personal interpretations and emotions." -BRmag
Born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba,
As a kid Steve was exposed to Traditional Country music with an embedded pre-Graham Parsons diversity much of which was pounded into his head through the walls between his bedroom and his father's rehearsal space (his dad was a honky-tonkin' steel guitar player that toured on a regular basis). When he was eight his mother decided that this life just wasn't suited for raising kids and hauled him and his four siblings off West on a train to a small town in Alberta. For a few years Steve flourished but eventually began to pine for his dad, or more precisely, what drove him musically. Living directly across from the railroad tracks (which became a catalyst for Steve's future) He kept imagining jumping an East bound boxcar but settled on a Greyhound and headed back to Manitoba. He went on the road with his dad's band at fourteen discovering a life both celebratory and lonely and decided then and there that he needed to write and play music but with a different set of rules, one that would leave room for family. At sixteen he headed back West...on a train. To this day the prairie train plays an important role in his muse as does the prairie it travels. Unless he can hear it's late night whistle reverberating over the fields sleep comes hard.
Bands & songwriters Steve listened to in his young 'formative' years: Cream, Creedence, Lightfoot, Buffalo Springfield, The Band, The Guess Who, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Leonard Cohen & Bob Dylan. One note-able recording influence of all combined: Their immediacy and 'off the floor' expression...Something Steve & The Lokels strive for in their recorded music.
Steve's catalog consists of over Two Hundred & Fifty original songs many of which have been recorded and released and heard on many an air-wave. Steve was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Innisfail, Alberta He's spent many years in Calgary, Alberta but now makes his home in the small Southern town of Vulcan, Alberta.
THE BAND
Russ Baker brings a range of influences, notably a ska/jazz approach to his bass playing and his electric guitar playing rides the fence between the ethereal to an all out roots rock sensibility . Russ Baker is also a sound engineer. He has worked with bands such as Cone of Silence and Wafer Thin Mint and has worked with Steve on a number of past projects and most recently engineered & produced 'Bovine World Rail'. His home is Edmonton, Alberta, but was raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
Dave Bauer is a songwriter in his own right. His music wanders into a concise, poetic acoustic world. An extremely versatile player Dave plays Mandolin and electric guitars with not only THE LOKELS but also with the rockin', Canadiana sounds of Dave McCann & The Firehearts. Dave lives in Calgary, Alberta.
Lance Loree (Uncle Thirsty) has worked with all sorts; Washboard Hank & Junior Gone Wild to the infamous punk rockabilly sound of the Alien Rebels. Lance is well known as one of the foremost tele-players around and a great pedal steel/ dobro player. He's also a song-smith that can crack smiles in the darkest halls. Lance works his farm in Southern Alberta.
Ray McAndrew is a legendary Alberta drummer/ percussionist who has worked with a great number of fine acts crisscrossing the country and beyond. Ray joined the Lokels in 2010 and appears on the latest recording 'Bovine World Rail.
Steve Coffey & The Lokels (& many combinations of; trio's, duo's & solo's) have performed at many a club, festival and event over many years. Each band member has performed across Canada many times. For Steve A few notable 'moments' include: CKUA First Friday in Medicine Hat; The Calgary Folk Festival; South & North Country Fairs, Wild Oats & Notes; The Sidetrack, Lydia's, Broken City, Central Music Festival & he's a regular at Calgary's Ironwood Stage & Grill. Steve was part of Canadian Music Week in Toronto as a member of The Kitchen Boys & has performed in Europe (Poznan, Poland).
Steve has shared the stage with such folks as Bill Bourne, Corb Lund, Fred Eaglesmith, Willie P. Bennett, Caitlin Cary, Karla Anderson, Rae Spoon, Dick Damron, Lee Harvey Osmond, Diamond Joe White & Rhonda Vincent to name a few. Finally, The Film Steve Coffey & The Lokels SAME BOY was purchased & presented by BRAVO! Canada's Arts & Entertainment Channel which began airing on Sept 11of 2007. The 1/2 hour film aired more than a dozen times before completing it's 3 year run.
Discography
STEVE COFFEY & THE LOKELS: Bovine World Rail- 2012
STEVE COFFEY & THE LOKELS: Twirlin' Girl Boogie- 2009
STEVE COFFEY & THE LOKELS: Same Boy CD/DVD 2 disc- 2007
producer: CD-Steve Loree DVD-A.Thomas & Steve Coffey
STEVE COFFEY & THE LOKELS: 32 Below Sessions- 2004
producer: Russ Baker & The Lokels
STEVE COFFEY & THE LOKELS: East of East Coulee- 2002
producer: Russ Baker & Steve Coffey
TALKLIKEJOE: TalkLIKEJoe - 1997
producer: Jay Bigam, Steve Coffey & Dave Mockford
THE KITCHEN BOYS: Passion Town- 1994
producer: Bill Bourne
THE KITCHEN BOYS: The Kitchen Boys- 1993
COMPILATIONS:
MEGATUNES 21st ANNIVERSARY COMPILATION- 2009-contributed song- 'My Hometown'
100 YEARS FROM THEM/ FRANK SLIDE-2003-Hijinx records- contributed song-'My Life Unwinds'
COALDUST GRINS- Cambria Publishing-1999- contributed song- 'Shovel Operator'
producer: Tim Williams
STEVE COFFEY PRODUCED:
HELEN HIGHWATER, MAINSTREAM- 2002
STEVE RELF, SPIRITS MALFUNCTION- 2001